What’s in the water in Chicagoland? (Univ. of Chicago & Northwestern)

[Anonymous]

A 1500 25 years ago is very different than a 1500 today. The test has evolved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UChicago had acceptance rate of 40% in mid-2000. A new admission dean, common app, and aggressive marketing made the difference.

It also had an average SAT of like 1500. The quality of student was the same as now. The number of applicants was smaller because it was more of a niche school. It always attracted high achievers. Now it also attracts everyone else.

What PP said.

Sincerely,

Sibling of a UC '86 grad w/perfect SAT, 4.0 uw GPA, top ECs, and three-sport varsity captain - her one regret is that she only got to play club soccer @ UC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A 1500 25 years ago is very different than a 1500 today. The test has evolved.

LOL, my HS BF scored a perfect SAT and dollars to donuts the former presidential scholar and Jr Math Olympiad, full ride @ MIT would do same today. The test evolves and students evolve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chicago is a really cool city and very fun for young people.

That was my experience on a grad fellowship there in the late 80s and DC’s experience within the last 5 years. I lived in Near North and she lived in Hyde Park. BIL is a librarian at NU and lives in Andersonville. So much appreciation here for both schools and the city as a whole. Evanston’s kinda bland (“Bethesda” was DC’s reaction) but access to some (albeit different) fun parts of Chicago is relatively easy from both schools.

Re weather. If you know how to dress (jackets should be windproof/resistant as well as warm) and know wh3n to take busses rather than walk, it’s not bad.

Lakefront is beautiful; NU’s on it and UChicago is a short walk from a nice lakefront park with access to the bike path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:where have you been?

+1 No different than 30 years ago.

+2
NU, Class of '98

+3

Bobb McCulloch Board member 1991-1992
I only ran to get a connection room *bows*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chicago is a really cool city and very fun for young people.

That was my experience on a grad fellowship there in the late 80s and DC’s experience within the last 5 years. I lived in Near North and she lived in Hyde Park. BIL is a librarian at NU and lives in Andersonville. So much appreciation here for both schools and the city as a whole. Evanston’s kinda bland (“Bethesda” was DC’s reaction) but access to some (albeit different) fun parts of Chicago is relatively easy from both schools.

Re weather. If you know how to dress (jackets should be windproof/resistant as well as warm) and know wh3n to take busses rather than walk, it’s not bad.

Lakefront is beautiful; NU’s on it and UChicago is a short walk from a nice lakefront park with access to the bike path.

I thought Evanston had a lot more character than Bethesda when we visited a few years back. That whole area of metro Chicago is breathtaking in the summer. The Baha’i Temple, just off Northwestern campus, is a must-visit.

[Anonymous]

This thread reads like a paid infomercial program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread reads like a paid infomercial program.

Positivity bothers you. Classic DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread reads like a paid infomercial program.

Positivity bothers you. Classic DCUM.

Fake informercial bothers me. Not authentic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread reads like a paid infomercial program.

Ok, you got me! My dissertation fellowship paid me $12,000 a year for 2 years, 35 years ago and, in return, I had to promise to promote universities in the metro region at every opportunity I get. If I fail in this mission, I fear I will be sued by the nonprofit (not affiliated with either school) that gave me the grant. So I posted anonymously, agreeing with another poster who said Chicago is a fun place to live when you’re young, Also they made me pledge to send my firstborn child back and that’s the only reason my DC went to UofC.

What a stupid, substance-free way to dismiss other posters’ opinions.

Besides, if I were paid to promote Chicago, I certainly would have mentioned that it has a great live music scene and so much good theater, that it’s a foodie town that doesn’t require a huge budget to eat well, that there are a wealth of good museums (I think college students get in free to most) and that the public transit system is more robust than DC’s, so you don’t need a car to take advantage of these opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread reads like a paid infomercial program.

Ok, you got me! My dissertation fellowship paid me $12,000 a year for 2 years, 35 years ago and, in return, I had to promise to promote universities in the metro region at every opportunity I get. If I fail in this mission, I fear I will be sued by the nonprofit (not affiliated with either school) that gave me the grant. So I posted anonymously, agreeing with another poster who said Chicago is a fun place to live when you’re young, Also they made me pledge to send my firstborn child back and that’s the only reason my DC went to UofC.

What a stupid, substance-free way to dismiss other posters’ opinions.

Besides, if I were paid to promote Chicago, I certainly would have mentioned that it has a great live music scene and so much good theater, that it’s a foodie town that doesn’t require a huge budget to eat well, that there are a wealth of good museums (I think college students get in free to most) and that the public transit system is more robust than DC’s, so you don’t need a car to take advantage of these opportunities.

My niece goes to UofC and loves it.

[Anonymous]

I think students are more willing/interested to go farther away. For example, I grew up in the Northeast and there were fewer kids interested in top schools in other regions like Duke, Emory, UChicago, etc. California was an exception. Now it feels like people are less wedded to their geography. So those schools are getting a bigger pool of applicants and are harder to get into for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:where have you been?

+1 No different than 30 years ago.

+2
NU, Class of '98

+3

Bobb McCulloch Board member 1991-1992
I only ran to get a connection room *bows*

I lived in the end basement room in Bobb McCulloch (the one with the crazy large closet) the year before!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread reads like a paid infomercial program.

Positivity bothers you. Classic DCUM.

it's not even positivity -- it's just facts. Northwestern and U of Chicago have always been top tier, sought after schools that attract high achieving students (albeit generally different in vibe).

[Anonymous]

I don't get this thread. Chicago and Northwestern have always been very highly ranked, very popular/desirable schools (with UChicago having more of a niche). Are you new to college admissions, OP?

You can see historical rankings from 1983 to 2015 here - Chicago and Northwestern have been top 15 schools for decades and both have had several years in the top 10. https://publicuniversityhonors.com/2017/09/13/u-s-news-rankings-for-57-leading-universities-1983-2007/
http://publicuniversityhonors.com/2015/06/13/u-s-news-national-university-rankings-2008-present/